Law enforcement agencies on P.E.I. warning against increased presence of fentanyl

Law enforcement agencies on Prince Edward Island are reporting more instances of fentanyl.

Representatives from Charlottetown and Summerside police services as well as the RCMP say they are upping their efforts to combat the dangerous drug’s prevalence on P.E.I. streets, and are warning how dangerous it can be.

Det./Sgt. Patrick Daley of Summerside Police Service said that "unfortunately," Summerside is following the national trend and seeing more fentanyl in the city. Daley said the increase in busts can be attributed to both increased prevalence and increased enforcement, as well as prevention and awareness efforts.

“The drug trade in Summerside has evolved over the years. We have seen a prevalence in fentanyl. It's something that we take very seriously,” he said. 

“And our frontline officers and our dedicated drug unit members are paying close attention and they're doing an excellent job in doing some proactive enforcement.”

Daley warned that fentanyl is a high-potency drug that brings with it dangers of possible overdoses. He also characterized it as “very addictive” and said many community members have been impacted by the drug. He described it as a synthetic opioid and, while opioids have been in the community for some time, fentanyl’s high potency makes it especially concerning.

“We're starting to see that it's also combined with other drugs,” he said. 

“If people don't know exactly what they're getting or what they're taking, that could increase the likelihood of an overdose.”

Daley said Summerside saw one overdose death in 2025, in which fentanyl was a contributing factor. He explained that most of the fentanyl brought into the city from the outside, an issue he said the drug unit is focused on, as well as prevention.

“It's important that we're talking to our youth and we're providing them with the tools to make good decisions.” 

Det./Sgt. Darren MacDougall of the Charlottetown Police Service has also seen an increase in fentanyl, and he believes “the supply has been keeping up with that demand."

The drug wasn’t a concern in the city four or five years ago, he said, even if it was somewhat present. In 2023, MacDougall said CPS seized 77 grams of fentanyl, which ballooned to 1.1 kilograms in 2025 at a street value of $400,000. 

“Most people are aware of the dangers of it [fentanyl]. So a small amount can trigger an overdose,” he said. 

“You're playing essentially Russian roulette with it."